Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueroyal’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueroyal’, characterized by its inflorescences with inflorescences with bright red-colored flower bracts; medium green-colored leaves with red purple-colored petioles; uniform and rounded plant habit; early flowering; and excellent post-production longevity.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Dueroyal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dueroyal’.

The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new Poinsettia cultivars with uniform plant habitand attractive flower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia originated from a cross made by the Inventor of aproprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as codenumber 94-513-8, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent, with aproprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as codenumber 95-867-1, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. Thecultivar Dueroyal was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlledenvironment in Rheinberg, Germany. The selection of this plant was basedon its attractive flower bract coloration and uniform plant habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminalcuttings taken at Rheinberg, Germany, has shown that the unique featuresof this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dueroyal’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Dueroyal’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Inflorescences with bright red-colored flower bracts.

2. Medium green-colored leaves with red purple-colored petioles.

3. Uniform and rounded plant habit.

4. Early flowering; response time, about eight weeks.

5. Excellent post-production longevity.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the selection 94-513-8, plantsof the new Poinsettia are more compact, have darker green leaves, andhave more intense red-colored and smoother flower bracts. Compared toplants of the male parent, the selection 95-867-1, plants of the newPoinsettia are more uniform in plant habit and have smoother flowerbracts.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivar490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differedprimarily from plants of the cultivar 490 in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia had shorter internodes than plants ofthe cultivar 490.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had more leaves per lateral branch thanplants of the cultivar 490.

3. Plants of the new Poinsettia had slightly smaller flower bracts, butmore flower bracts per inflorescence than plants of the cultivar 490.

4. Plants of the new Poinsettia had larger cyathia clusters and morecyathia per corymb than plants of the cultivar 490.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Poinsettia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view ofa single flowering plant of ‘Dueroyal’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and averagedmeasurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during thewinter under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with dayand night temperatures about 22° C. and light levels about 4,500foot-candles. Single plants were grown in 14-cm pots and pinched once.Plants were flowered under natural season short day/long nightconditions. Plants were about 16 weeks from unrooted cuttings when thephotographs and the detailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivarDueroyal.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.identified as code number 94-513-8, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.identified as code number 95-867-1, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 9 days at 22° C. Winter: About 13days at 22° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 21 days at 22° C. Winter: About 28days at 22° C.

Root description.—Thick, fibrous and freely-branching.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded. Growth habit:Upright and uniform plant habit.

Plant height.—About 21 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 40 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: About five lateralbranches develop after pinching. Length: About 17 cm. Diameter: Lessthan 1 cm. Internode length: About 9.5 mm. Color: 137B.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Quantity of leavesper lateral branch: About 14. Length: About 9.5 cm. Width: About 6.3 cm.Shape: Mostly ovate with irregular lobing. Apex: Acuminate to apiculate.Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire with irregular lobing. Venation pattern:Pinnate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous. Surface: Mostlyflat. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 141B. Young foliage, lowersurface: 141C. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 136B. Fullyexpanded foliage, lower surface: 141B. Venation, upper surface: 141D.Venation, lower surface: 138D. Petiole: Length: About 4.3 cm. Diameter:About 3 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 59A.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs ofcyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.Inflorescences are not fragrant. Inflorescences persistent.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flowerinitiation and development is induced under long nyctoperiod conditions.Response time, about eight weeks.

Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia maintain goodsubstance and bract color for about eight weeks under interiorconditions and about 12 to 14 weeks under greenhouse conditions.

Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—One per lateral branch, aboutfive.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 18 cm. Height (depth): About 4 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: About 17.Length, largest bracts: About 8.5 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 5.5cm. Shape: Mostly ovate with irregular lobing. Apex: Acuminate toapiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire with irregular lobing. Texture,upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, velvety. Surface: Rugose.Orientation: Mostly horizontal. Color: Developing bracts, upper surface:46A. Developing bracts, lower surface: 46C. Fully developed bracts,upper surface: 46C; color fading to 46D with subsequent development.Fully developed bracts, lower surface: 46D. Venation, upper and lowersurfaces: Same as lamina. Bract petiole: Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter:About 2 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 59A.

Cyathia.—Quantity of cyathia per corymb: About 13. Diameter of cyathiacluster: About 3 cm. Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Shape:Ovoid. Color, immature and mature: 144A. Peduncle: Length: About 7 mm.Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Strength/aspect: Strong, curved. Color: 144A.Stamens: Quantity of stamens per cyathium: About 15. Anther shape: Oval.Anther length: About 0.4 mm. Anther color: 23C. Amount of pollen:Moderate. Pollen color: 14A. Pistils: Quantity of pistils per cyathium:One. Pistil length: About 9 mm. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color:53B. Stigma color: 59A. Nectaries: Quantity of nectaries per cyathium:One. Color: 17B.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common toPoinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercialconditions.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named‘Dueroyal’, as illustrated and described.